EXT. TRALUS – PLAINS – DAY
An ARMY stands assembled on the vast, sweeping plains of the planet Tralus. Made up of a mixture of Humans, Selonians, Dralls, and various other species native to the Corellian system, the soldiers all wear the armour of the ancient Army of the Republic.
Almost as if they materialized out from thin air, a large myriad of Krath assault ships appear in the deep lavender sky of Tralus. Several anti-aircraft weapons platforms stationed on the surface open fire as the menacing craft descend upon the world, releasing salvoes of concentrated plasmafire upon the enemy ships. Heavily outnumbering the guns, most of the assault ships manage to evade the devastating plasma blasts.
Touching down, flattening the long stalks of indigo grass beneath their bulk, the Krath take root upon the surface of Tralus like large steel barnacles. As their engines power down, the bay doors of the Krath craft split open. Thousands upon thousands of AUTOMATED KRATH WAR 'DROIDS spill out, hunched over on pairs of digitigrade legs, short war swords in one hand and pulse-wave weapons in the other. The menacing humanoid war machines charge forward, moving with all the preternatural coordination of iron termites. Bringing their weapons to bear, the Republic troops open fire on the automatons closing in upon them. An unstoppable object meeting an immovable force, the two sides crash together.
The resulting battle is a fierce one, with extremely heavy losses to both sides, but the inorganics have a clear advantage over the organics. In the end it finishes as it must; the Republic soldiers fall to the mindless robots.
As wounded lie crying out in agony among the remains of their slain brethren on the blood-soaked battlefield, the Krath assault ships disgorge their second wave of marauders: a countless number of armed-and-armoured KRATH WARRIORS, their faces hard and their eyes cold, large blaster rifles gripped tightly in their iron-strong hands. Falling in upon the surviving Republic soldiers, they falter not at all as they end to the collective misery of their fallen foes.
As the Krath assemble together in columns before their ships, a new ship – an obsidian-black shuttle – descends from the sky like an ominous angel of death. Touching down on the ground before the amassed Krath warriors, the entrance ramp opens and lowers, allowing a single figure to emerge. Clad in armour as black and polished as her ship, a large cloak like a sheet of star-studded night attached about her shoulders, is a LADY OF THE SITH BROTHERHOOD. A smooth, perfectly featureless helmet encases her head, hiding her features from sight.
Reaching up, the Sith Lady takes hold of the featureless black helmet and lifts it away. Tresses of full, wavy black hair cascade down, framing an immaculately beautiful face of flawless porcelain. Her deep violet eyes, like liquid sapphires, sparkle as her full, midnight blue lips part ever so slightly.
Turning away from the Krath, leaving her shuttle, the Sith climbs a low hill. Reaching the top, she looks out to the sprawling landscape before her. Far in the distance, within a shallow gorge, lies the low exterior to an underground bunker.
Turning around, the lady looks upon the Krath warriors. Reaching to her side, she grasps the hilt of a Sith warblade. Pulling the black blade free of its scabbard, she hefts the weapon into the air, pointing it skyward.
SITH LADY: SITH LADY: In the names of Exar Kun, Dark Lord of the Sith; Aleema Keto, Empress of the Tetan Worlds; and Ulic Qel-Droma, Lord Apprentice and Emperor Consort – for the glory of the Sith Empire reborn – attack!
Sharing a single mind, a single heart, a single soul, the Krath warriors release a battle cry and charge. As they pass by the Sith Lady on the way to the bunker, she grins with animalistic delight.
EXT. BUNKER – DAY
Having pushed on ahead, the Krath war 'droids have already arrived at the bunker and are currently engaged in battle with the Republic soldiers defending it. As it was with their comrades before them, these soldiers prove weak before the murderous automations.
INT. BUNKER/ENTRANCE HALL – DAY
Within the entrance hall, a dozen Republican soldiers stand on guard, blaster rifles trained on the reinforced durasteel door situated at the other end of the corridor away from them.
INT. BUNKER/SAFE ROOM – DAY
Inside a small safe room are eleven individuals: Jedi Knight VICI RAMUNEE, her brother VENI, her lover LOGAN HALCYON, their mistress TANISS, and SEVEN YOUNG JEDI CHILDREN.
Vici, twenty-four years old, is a pretty Human woman with a tall, slender build, shoulder-length auburn hair, and green eyes; Veni, eighteen years old, is almost a perfect reflection of his sister; Logan, thirty-one, is a tall, broad-shouldered Human with flaming red hair and an omni-spectral visor pulled down over his eyes; Taniss, perfectly ageless, is a handsome Omwati woman with light blue skin, sparkling indigo eyes, and feathery mauve hair.
While Taniss sits upon a chair, cradling a toddler on her lap, the other three Jedi stand or pace about the room.
VICI: Mistress ….
TANISS: Yes, Vici?
VICI: The Krath forces … I can feel them getting closer. (beat) There’s Sith with them.
TANISS: Yes … I know.
EXT. BUNKER – DAY
The Krath warriors arrive as the war 'droids finish off the remaining Republicans.
INT. BUNKER/SAFE ROOM – DAY
VENI: They’re here!
INT. BUNKER/ENTRANCE HALL – DAY
With a loud, skull-jarring CRASH the reinforced durasteel door is punched in as if it were made of cardboard. Thrown forward with immense velocity, it plows through five soldiers, crushing each and every one of them. As the remaining Republicans reorient themselves, Krath warriors come pouring into the bunker.
INT. BUNKER/SAFE ROOM – DAY
Sensing the Krath’s violation of their sanctum, Veni turns toward the thick durasteel door blocking the room off from the rest of the bunker, reaching for the hilt of the lightsaber hanging from his belt with impatience.
VENI: I’m not going to stand around anymore! I’m taking them!
LOGAN: (grabbing Veni by the shoulder) Hold your eopies, kid. Have some patience.
Spinning around, Veni angrily brushes Logan’s hand away.
VENI: Keep your hands off me, Halcyon! You don’t get to push me around, not anymore!
TANISS: (irritated) Enough of this! (to Veni) You’re not a child anymore, Veni – stop acting like one!
Shamed, Veni hangs his head.
VENI: I’m sorry, Mistress. (beat) But the Krath, the children … I don’t know what I’m supposed to do – what we’re supposed to do.
Carefully setting the toddler down on the floor to crawl about with its peers, Taniss stands up and walks over to Veni. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she regards him with the tender gaze of a caring mother.
TANISS: We do what we must as the protectors of these children. To the bitter end, we do as we must.
INT. BUNKER/ENTRANCE HALL – DAY
Having slaughtered the Republic soldiers guarding the hall, the Krath warriors are clearing the bodies out of the way as the Sith Lady steps inside. Accompanying her are THREE SITH ACOLYTES: a Bith male, a Human male, and a Devaronian female.
SITH LADY: Go forth, clear the path for us. But remember – the elder is mine.
Acknowledging her command silently, the acolytes move forward, their rock-hard faces devoid of all expression save that of solid determination.
INT. BUNKER/SAFE ROOM – DAY
As the durasteel door slides open, Vici turns to Logan. Meeting his eyes with hers, she reaches out and places her fingers on the side of his face.
VICI: So this is it, huh?
LOGAN: This is it.
VICI: But there’s so much I wanted to say, Logan, so much to do –
LOGAN: (grins) Please, save me the cliched claptrap. (reaches up and tenderly takes her hand in his) All we needed to say and do we’ve done.
Pulling Vici close to him, Logan locks his lips with hers, sealing their love with their last passionate kiss.
As Logan and Vici end their embrace, they both turn to regard Mistress Taniss. Then, turning away from her, they and Veni step out of the room to meet their fate.
Once the three Jedi are gone, the heavy metal door slides back into place and locks with a heavy CLANG.
INT. BUNKER/ANTECHAMBER – DAY
As the three Sith acolytes enter the antechamber leading into the safe room, they find the three Jedi Knights waiting for them. As one, the Sith draw their lightsabers and engage them; a blade of frigid blue extends from the Human’s hilt, a blade of putrid green from the Bith’s, and a blade of nauseating purple from the Devaronian’s. As the Sith stand there, their three blades pulsating, the Jedi draw their own weapons; a blade of vibrant yellow extends from Veni’s hilt, a blade of radiant orange from Logan’s, and a blade of intense red from Vici’s.
Drawing back their plasma blades, the combatants engage in a six-way duel.
INT. BUNKER/SAFE ROOM – DAY
Mistress Taniss stands facing the door, children surrounding her, as tears begin to run down her cheeks.
INT. BUNKER/ANTECHAMBER – DAY
The Sith Lady steps into the antechamber, looking down upon the bodies strewn about the floor. The Jedi and Sith, evenly matched, have slain each other down to the last man.
Stepping past the bodies, the darkly beautiful woman walks up to the heavy door leading into the safe room beyond. Bringing up her arms, she reaches out through the Force and, finding the door, seizes it in a vice-like grip, squeezes, and begins to pull.
With a hideous SQUEAL of rending metal, the tremendously heavy, durable safe room door is slowly pulled from its hinges. Once the door is cleared from its frame, the lady telekinetically moves it off to the side, discarding it casually as if it were nothing more than a paper cup.
Standing there, hands on her hips, is the Jedi mistress Taniss. Her face unreadable, the Sith reaches to the scabbard at her side and draws her warblade, bringing the broadsword of black metal to bear.
SITH LADY: Greetings, Mistress Taniss.
TANISS: You know my name.
SITH LADY: Of course. Honour demands no less of me. (beat) I’ve come for the children, Mistress Taniss.
TANISS: You know I can’t allow you to take them.
SITH LADY: Have sense, Mistress. The Republic troops have fallen and Tralus has been taken – you have lost.
TANISS: While life flows through me, triumph remains within reach. I haven’t lost yet.
SITH LADY: It doesn’t have to be this way. There is a place for all within the Brotherhood. Why don’t you join us and help create a future where these children can grow up in peace and security, safe from the manipulations and predations of corrupt bureaucrats and underworlders?
TANISS: The future the Sith are crafting is a dark, unholy one. I’ll have no part in it.
SITH LADY: (angry) Open your eyes, Taniss! The Republic and Jedi have had their day! It is the dawn of a new age – the Sith Golden Age!
TANISS: Such a dawn I have no desire to wake to.
SITH LADY: Very well, Mistress Taniss, cling to your outmoded stubbornness. The path to the morrow will be clearer with you out of the way.
Lunging forward, the black armoured Sith swings her blade. Taking a step back, Taniss unclips her lightsaber, engages the scintillating silver blade, and brings it down on an intercept course. With an almost liquid SIZZLE, the blade of cohesive plasma makes contact with the blade of alchemically-forged metal, neither cutting through the other. Pulling back, the two combatants part blades.
Moving with fluid grace, the Sith and Jedi continue their duel. They feint, parry, and riposte over-and-over again, neither gaining an upper hand over the other.
SITH LADY: It’s obvious this contest cannot be decided by our skills with the blade.
The lady lowers her warblade, resheathing it.
SITH LADY: (cont’d) But by our knowledge of the Force.
Lowering her lightsaber, Tannis disengages it and tosses the hilt to the floor.
Grinning, the Sith brings forth her hands. As she weaves them about one another, a ball of negative energy begins to coalesce between them. Once the sphere of inverted light has reached optimal size, the lady throws out her hands, releasing it at Taniss. Bringing up her own hands, Taniss erects a barrier of blazing silver light. As the sphere collides with the barrier, the negative energy shatters into nothingness.
TANNIS: (drops the barrier) You’re going to have to do far better than that.
Sneering, the Sith Lady brings her arms down low to her sides. Curling her fingers into gnarled talons, she begins to summon more negative energy into them. Throwing out her hands, she unleashes beams of inverted light upon Taniss. Throwing up a telekinetic shield with her right hand, the mistress redirects the black energy away from her into a wall.
SITH LADY: Do you plan on merely warding away my blows, Jedi?! Haven’t you the fire to deliver an attack of your own?!
Without responding, the Jedi mistress throws up her left hand. A beam of silver energy courses outward, catching the Sith square in the chest and hurtling her back onto the floor.
TANNIS: I can dish it out as well as I can take it, darksider.
Grinning with malevolent pleasure, the Sith Lady recollects herself. Stepping forward, she throws out her hands once again, casting more blasts of negative energy. Tannis reciprocates with silver energy blasts.
EXT. BUNKER – DAY
Some time has passed and the Krath soldiers stand outside the bunker, awaiting the return of their mistress, when a shape stirs from within the dark entrance.
The Sith Lady – her cloak all but gone, her gorgeous hair burned down to a charred fuzz, her face marred with second degree burns – steps outside. Cradled against her breastplate, seemingly oblivious to the events taking place around it, is the very same toddler Tannis was attending to earlier.
SITH LADY: (hoists the child up into the air) Behold the child! Behold the future of the Sith Empire!
Awareness of their victory finally sinking in, the Krath warriors throw up their arms, cheering their Sith mistress as she displays the spoils of war in her arms.
INT. ORRON III – DUQUESNE HOMESTEAD/ANAKIN’S BEDROOM – DAY
Anakin sits at his desk, watching the holovid of the Sith Lady holding the child before her Krath warriors, as a light RAP-RAP-RAP is heard at the door.
ANAKIN: (pauses the holovid) It’s open.
The door opens and Corin leans inside. She immediately notices the monochrome hologram of the menacing Sith woman frozen in place on his desk.
CORIN: What are you watching?
ANAKIN: Records from the Fourth Battle of Tralus during the Great Sith War. I’m trying to catch up on my studies. (beat) You wanted something?
CORIN: You’ve got a caller on the comm – Obi-Wan Kenobi.
ANAKIN: I’ll be right there.
Rising from his chair, Nik follows Corin out the door.
INT. DUQUESNE HOUSEHOLD/COMM BOOTH – DAY
Entering the small, windowless room, Anakin walks over to the controls of a medium-sized comm unit installed in the >wall. Pressing a blue button, Obi-Wan’s face immediately appears on the display.
ANAKIN: (sits down in a chair) Hey, Obi. What’s up?
OBI-WAN: Hello, Nik. I’m not disturbing you, am I?
ANAKIN: No, not really. I was just going over my history records. (beat) What’s the news? Our leave hasn’t been cancelled, has it?
OBI-WAN: No, nothing of the sort. (beat) Anakin ….
ANAKIN: (frowns) Something’s happened to Siri.
OBI-WAN: (sighs) Siri lost the child. It happened a few days before I got back.
ANAKIN: God, Obi, I’m so sorry.
OBI-WAN: Siri’s going through a crisis right now and we both feel it’d be best to get off Coruscant for the time being and see some friendly faces. Is it alright if we came to Orron III and stayed with you awhile?
ANAKIN: I’ll have to ask Corin and Nemec, but I’m sure they’ll understand.
OBI-WAN: Thank you, Anakin.
ANAKIN: I’ll get back to you as soon as I get the word.
With that, the communication ends. Rising from the chair, Nik turns to leave and finds Nemec standing in the open door.
NEMEC: I heard everything, Nik. (beat) Tell your friends they’re welcome to come right on over.
Thanking Nemec with a slight nod and smile, Nik returns to the comm unit.
EXT. SPACE – TOWNOWI
Somewhere in the depths of the Arkanis sector sits the crystalline planet Townowi. In orbit above Townowi is a long metal cylinder with a clawed torus built around its diametre. This is Akkad 14, a space station built by the Separatists during the Second Clone War. While it has long since been appropriated by the Empire, it still serves its purpose as a way station between the Geonosis system and the greater Galaxy.
INT. AKKAD 14/CMDR. JEFFREYS’ QUARTERS
Inside her quarters, buried within the covers of her bed, is COMMANDER SHERIDAN JEFFREYS. A lean, lovely blonde nearing middle age, Jeffreys is locked fast in the deepest, most peaceful sleep.
At that moment, just as Townowi’s blue sun rises out beyond the room’s large transparisteel viewport, the chronometre off to the right side of the commander’s bed begins to RING a fierce wakeup call. Groaning, she rolls over in bed, burying her head inside her pillows in a desperate attempt to block out the noise.
CMDR. JEFFREYS: Shut up, shut up, shut up….
When the chronometre refuses to comply, Jeffreys resorts to a final desperate act. Reaching under her mattress, she pulls out a small blaster. Turning over, she levels the weapon at the chrono, takes careful aim, then pulls the trigger. A blue stun bolt flares out, catching the chronometre and frying its systems, silencing it now and forever.
Sighing, Jeffreys lowers the blaster. Getting up out of bed, she then meanders over to her desk. Opening a drawer, she pulls out a recorder wand. Raising it to her lips, she turns it on.
CMDR. JEFFREYS: Memo to self: Order a new chronometre at the next earliest convenience.
Deactivating the wand, she replaces it back inside the desk.
INT. AKKAD 14/CORRIDOR OUTSIDE JEFFREYS’ QUARTERS
The door leading into Jeffreys’ quarters slides open, allowing the commander to step out into the corridor. Now showered and clad in her gray Imperial uniform, she is the very picture of no-nonsense efficiency.
Turning on her heel to her right, she begins making her way along the corridor. At that moment the large door at the end of the corridor behind her left slides open, allowing a PORTLY BARABEL to step inside.
PORTLY BARABEL: (grins) Cmdr. Jeffreys!
Stopping in mid-stride, Jeffreys turns to regard the Barabel. Seeing his unwelcome grin, she sighs deeply.
CMDR. JEFFREYS: Mr. Kurasij, without the proper clearance, Red Deck is off-limits to non-military personnel.
KURASIJ (PORTLY BARABEL): Yes, this is known to me. What of it?
CMDR. JEFFREYS: Get off Red Deck, Mr. Kurasij.
KURASIJ: You wound me deeply, Commander. Do you regard me so poorly that you’d immediately assume I’d use improper channels to procure access to the command section?
CMDR. JEFFREYS: (sighs) I haven’t the time for your games, Kurasij. Get your ass off Red Deck before I call Gardo in to haul it off to the brig!
KURASIJ: (takes a step forward) Surely, Commander –
Reaching to her side, Jeffreys pulls out her comlink. Raising it to her lips, she activates it.
CMDR. JEFFREYS: Gardo?
GARDO: (O.S.) Commander?
KURASIJ: (raises his hands up as he takes a step back) Nevermind, Commander. I can see you are a busy woman. Perhaps we can establish a dialogue at a later date, yes?
Wasting not a single split-second, the Barabel departs Red Deck.
CMDR. JEFFREYS: (into the comlink) Nevermind, Gardo. False alarm.
Deactivating the comlink, the Commander resumes her stride.
INT. AKKAD 14/COMMAND CENTRE
The doors leading into the command centre slide open and Cmdr. Jeffreys steps inside. Within the circular room, several MEN, WOMEN, AND BEINGS OF INDETERMINATE GENDER man their stations, each monitoring the interstellar space beyond them for incoming ships or communications. Installed in the wall before them all is a large viewport looking out into the star-studded darkness of the Townowi system.
OFFICER #1: Good morning, Commander.
Walking over to her station, Jeffreys takes a seat.
CMDR. JEFFREYS: Morning? There is no morning in space, Kirova.
KIROVA (OFFICER #1): Of course not, Commander.
CMDR. JEFFREYS: Kirova?
KIROVA: Yes?
CMDR. JEFFREYS: Be a good boy and fetch me a mug of caf. I’ll never be able to think straight if I don’t get some caffeine into my system ASAP.
KIROVA: Right away, ma’am.
Leaving his station, Kirova hurries to grab the commander a cup of caf.
EXT. SPACE
Out in the blackness of space, past Townowi and the space station, a massive starcraft emerges from the depths of hyperspace. Unseen, the ship moves toward Akkad 14. Coming upon the station, the craft casts a vast, overwhelming shadow over the much smaller habitat.
INT. AKKAD 14/COMMAND DECK
OFFICER #2: Commander, a craft’s just emerged right on top of us from hyperspace! It’s a --!
EXT. SPACE – TOWNOWI
A red superlaser lances out from the unseen vessel. Striking Akkad 14 dead centre, the beam vaporizes the station in an instant.